Cutting Down the Ocean
by Reige
Summary: AU! We all know the story; Rukia enters Karakura Town and changes the life of High School student Kurosaki Ichigo. But what happens if Shiba Kaien, who survived against his battle with Metastacia, is instead sent in for investigation? REWRITTEN!
1. Prologue

**Cutting Down the Ocean**

**Warnings: **Language and Violence

**Overall Rating: **Teen

**Summary: **We all know the story; Rukia enters Karakura Town and changes the life of High School student Kurosaki Ichigo. But what happens if Shiba Kaien, who survived against his battle with Metastacia, is instead sent in for investigation?

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

* * *

**/~Prologue~\**

* * *

It's raining.

At first there's nothing to hate about the innocent weather (other than the fact that you get soaked and/or sick), but after the skirmish tonight, there grew a strong dislike of the tiny droplets that showered down from the cloudy dark skies. Lightning flashed quickly, coming and going in an instant, the thunder rumbling as it followed afterwards. Not much blocked the downpour, the large trees offering little shelter from being continuously pelted by the small droplets.

A shaky breath filled the noisy rainfall, a small fog forming in the chilly air from the lips of the fallen man whose sea-green eyes stared heavenward to the dark, dreary sky. He blinked away the water coming into his eyes, clenching his eyes as a sharp pain throbbed from his abdomen and shoulder, he can only imagine how awful he looked right now. Probably looked as though he's been ripped up like a rag doll being chewed by an over-sized dog. The pain went on, reminding him that despite what's happened, he was still alive and he doesn't seem to be going anywhere—no matter how badly he wanted to.

But that's not the only thing that hurts.

Sorrow and deep agony washed over his senses, tears beginning to brim over his eyes and mix themselves with the rain with numerous thoughts of a beloved, admired, and cherished woman of the division. Her voice, her smiles, her beautiful face; gone.

Disappeared.

_Killed. Murdered. Ravaged._

No mercy to end the pain but by the end of the sword.

Taken away by the very thing she fought so hard to destroy and protect innocent people from. She had been used like a puppet, killing and destroying lives by the wicked soul-eater, her friends and comrades dying by her hands and painting her them red from the actions it made her do. Her pride and honor shattering from the forceful actions, and she was in despair as she watched helplessly as she swung down and ripped through people's lives that had no idea of what was happening before it was too late.

She was dead now.

_Not alive. Not breathing. Just no more._

The monster died, too, from within her and it brought more pain upon the person who had to be the one to put her out of her misery... like a dying dog. There was no relief, no cheers for destroying the monster, just sadness and rain.

Did the rain stop?

"K-Kaien-dono...?"

No. Just a young Kuchiki blocking the rain with her body looming above him, her indigo eyes glazed and her cheeks red from the tears she herself shed for the woman she looked up to as an idol.

Shiba Kaien hated the rain now more than ever.


	2. Memoirs of a Broken Man

**Cutting Down the Ocean**

**Warnings: **Language and Violence

**Overall Rating: **Teen

**Summary: **We all know the story; Rukia enters Karakura Town and changes the life of High School student Kurosaki Ichigo. But what happens if Shiba Kaien, who survived against his battle with Metastacia, is instead sent in for investigation?

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

* * *

**Chapter 1: Memoirs of a Broken Man**

* * *

Light footsteps hurried quickly around the large compound, avoiding obstacles and sharp turns, dodging startled fellow shinigami easily. Finally, reaching near a small lake house, the running figure skidded to a halt and slid across the wooden porch before bowing politely to the idolized person resting inside the shades of the little house that had a clear view of the fish swimming in the small lake. Retaining a sense of calm and cool collective features, the person looked up and opened their mouth to speak—

"Goddamn you, Kiyone! You turned off my alarm clock, didn't you?!" someone shouted wildly from behind.

Kotetsu Kiyone cringed from the volume of Kotsubaki Sentarou's voice that shook the whole world and probably awoken half of the Seireitei. She glared at the man she could not believe she shared a seat with (how is that even legal?), the prick just ruined her chances of looking incredibly cool in front of their beloved captain! Like hell she's going to let this gorilla embarrass her any more! Oh no, she was going to end him!

"Listen here you over-sized pig! I got here first and that means I get to make the report! So you can turn around and go back to whatever you dark cave you came from, moron!"

"Hah! You're such a soft-spoken brat I bet the captain has to open his ears to hear the words coming out of that dirty mouth of yours!" Sentarou retorted with a sneer.

"You big...!" she snarled, ready to wrestle and slam him to unconsciousness.

"Now, now." Juushirou sighed. "You know the drill."

"Yes, sir." both third seated officers muttered bitterly, giving one last glare to each other before bowing politely to the white-haired captain.

"What's the daily news?" Ukitake Juushirou sipped from his tea quietly as he stares at the expanding of his beautiful lake and garden.

"Small Hollow attacks here and there from between Rukon districts 12 and 34 from the west gate. 12th Division is currently looking into it and if it continues, the 9th Division may get involved as well." Kiyone reports firmly, no nonsense in her tone.

"Hmm." Juushirou hums and nods at Sentarou.

"11th Division officers are causing trouble for 4th Division officers. Should the situation escalate, there's a worry that the captains of the two squads will have to settle this dispute."

"That's a scary thought." the white-haired man felt a brief chill. "I wish the best of luck for Kenpachi. He really doesn't want to get engaged with Unohana-san."

The two third seats shared a nervous sweatdrop.

"Anything else?"

"... No sir."

Juushirou looked over his shoulder towards his two suddenly quiet third seats, Kiyone biting her lower lip and looking elsewhere and Sentarou's eyes downcast and body tense as stone. The captain turned away and the view in front of him no longer beautiful and bright as he usually thought it was. His ill heart ached for the unbearable sorrow the division had went through, along for the people that had been mostly affected by the sad departing of one of their own.

"How is he?" came the breaking of the ice.

Kiyone and Sentarou obviously did not need to say the same sentence that had been asked for the past forty years after the terrifying incident.

* * *

Kuchiki Rukia dodged an attack and took another stance before retaliating with an offense of her own, her opponent waiting a few feet away with their weapon hanging easily in their hand, it just irked her of how casual they looked when this was a battle! She would not be looked down on anymore! She jabbed her sword forward and the opponent easily side-stepped away from the attack... just as she hoped. Using the weight, she twirled around and aimed to strike his ribs and she smiled to see them falter. Although, she was immediately surprised herself when the person disappeared out of existence!

"Shunpo!"  
**-Flash Step**

That was just totally unfair! Her opponent knew she was still working on getting the hang of using the technique, and she made some errors but it was clear that he wasn't giving her a break. Not that she needed one, really, she liked to be treated like any other person. Don't need people tip-toeing around her like she was fragile glass that needed to be handled carefully.

She had changed after the passing years, training though the nights and enduring tough obstacles by day. Her mousy, introvert nature turning into a tactical and proud young woman, but her developed skills are far below of that of the person she was fighting against.

"Once more, Kuchiki!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rukia charged forward, her zanpakuto aiming in the false intention to kill the man. She was blocked easily from the other zanpakuto, slamming her sword to the side with ease and using the butt of their sword as offense to slam her back. She quickly charged again, jumping and spinning in the air, she felt her sword clash against the other but once more, she was pushed back.

This time, he charged at her.

From the ground she fell from his earlier push, she jumped up and swings her sword up in time to become deadlock with her opponent's. Another unfair thing about this fight, he is a looming figure with muscles and willpower and she a dwarf-sized midget. Her body was trembling with the weight that she and her sword were going through from trying to fight back! Her indigo eyes flared up to the others eyes, baring her teeth at him.

"I refuse... to lose to you!" her strained voice blurts out.

"Say that," he said with a low tone before he knocked their swords up, the surprise making her lose her grip. "After you've beaten me!"

Rukia watched helplessly, distracted as her zanpakuto was flying in the air, flipping wildly then plummeting back down to them. She blinked when a hand grabs the handle of her sword and the blade was inches away from her face. The tiny Kuchiki cannot help herself but swallow thickly from the close call of the intense end to their fight.

The sword flips around and she's instead looking at the handle. Rukia gladly took it and sheathed the weapon back to its rightful place and faced her opponent.

"Thank you for taking your time in training me, Kaien-dono." she bowed respectively to her mentor.

**(Kaien's First Person POV)**

I shrugged and sheath my own zanpakuto, turning away from the girl to see the sun still high in the sky, signalling the time that it's the early afternoon. No reason to stick around though, I thought as I looked down to see how flustered and tired the young adopted Kuchiki was. She was getting tough and had to work on the endurance, but she would get there. Eventually.

Besides that, the stone-faced big brother of hers might be looking for his little sister.

"Let's head back, Kuchiki."

"Yes, sir."

It was cruel and down-right rotten of me to use the Kuchiki girl as an excuse to get out of the office and stay away from my home and family, training her to become a better shinigami than the rest of her high-ranking peers. And the sad thing? She knew it, too. However, she just chose to not say anything, retaining the guise of being oblivious, believing she was helping me. It just made the dagger dig deeper inside me.

She became a pillar to me, making me smile at the ironic fact that she was now the one lecturing me to move around instead of hole up in some dark corner, it was honestly funny how backwards are relationship had become. I loved her, like an older brother to his kid sister, and I knew she felt the same for me.

* * *

Rukia and I went our separate ways, her home to where her brother was waiting and me to the 8th Division main office, having earlier received a message via Hellbutterfly that Kyouraku was looking for a drinking buddy. It was well-known that the man was a total slacker, rather letting his officers do his paperwork, the man loved to spend his hours drinking away. His lieutenant, though, did not agree with his ways. I was in a drinking mood and I had to be a real idiot to pass on a free drink that he, no doubt, was hiding somewhere in office from Nanao's sharp eyes.

Slipping inside the office quietly, I greeted the senior captian with a polite bow and joined him on the small table where there lied many bottles that begged to be swallowed away. The flamboyant captain only offered a silly smile and shoved a gourd in my hand, which I happily extracted from his fingers.

"Well, look who dropped down from the high heavens!" greeted Shunsui.

"Hah. That's a new one." I told the floral captain and sipped the drink.

"I have to admire you youngsters, looking nice and tidy." the sly man quipped teasingly.

"Careful taichou, you're making it seem like you're flirting with me." I laughed and he joins me.

"Sorry, kiddo. Too young for me. I'll probably die from the excitement before we reach the ending."

Perverted and vulgar as he was, the older man meant well, and his words brought more laughter. The visit that was suppose to be short turned to long minutes, and the minutes turned to hours. The midday becoming the after dark and thankfully Nanao had yet to discover the two men drinking in her captain's office.

It couldn't be helped that the man was too carefree and loved to take occasional naps, even going about to visit friends and other captians just to pass the time. The lamp was dim but lit the whole room enough to let the two of us continue our drinking.

"I've been hearing rumors lately," Shunsui slowly said after a moment of content silence.

"People gossip all~ the time, Kyouraku-taichou." I smiled crookedly at the man.

"But these rumors seem to stand."

"Really...?" I muttered as I took another drink.

"Yes. Some of which involve around a certain lieutenant..."

"Renji, right? He's t' become the new lieutenant of the 6th Division. I gotta take the kid ou' t' celebrate, probably around—"

"That's not what I meant."

I slopped my hand down from trying to point out the location of which Rukon district had a really popular bar that sold good drinks. Everything became silent and tense, not calm and serene as it had been moments ago, I looked down at the sake cup and swirled the liquid carefully. A buzz vibrated from the back of my head, the fuzzy feeling growing and making my body feel heavy from every drink.

"It's been forty years now."

I was so close to crushing the tiny cup in my hand, it took every fiber of my being not to do anything rash.

"This act of distancing yourself from your men, your family even, it needs to stop. Now."

I down another drink, vaguely feeling those eyes burning holes in me but the euphoria in my system blocks out the uncomfortable feeling. My senses dulled and numb, but I let the sake cup take place on the table where all the sake bottles are layed out. The fog in my head growing thicker with each passing moment and my eyelids felt heavy.

"So wha'?" I asked tiredly, not liking that all the conversations always pointed back to my problems.

"Kaien-kun, my friend, it's come to the attention of Juu-kun and Yama-jii that we do something about this once and for all. We've waited long enough and the neglect of your men and duties have finally taken its toll."

So this was it, was it? That dark hole inside was consuming everything, driving me to the brink of unavoidable loneliness that I've begun to lose sight of what's important; my family, my friends, my division...

"Jes' say it... I'm demoted." I whispered, bowing my head as it grows heavy.

"Nope!" Shunsui chirped. "This is an intervention! We're sending you to the Material World on patrol."

**_Thud!_**

Shunsui blinked down at the collapsed body of the nobleman sleeping heavily on the coach, the captain only shruged and decideed to give a call to have someone drop the poor man back to his barracks. Just as he was inches away from taking a drink, a loud knock on his door causes him to sputter and wildly look around for a place to hide his precious stash.

He knew the urgent pattern of knocks on the door by heart to know who the behind the door was, and the owner was someone he feared for his life as he quickly stumbled around his office to rid the evidence of sake being smuggled in the office.

"Kyouraku-taichou! Is everything alright in there?" Nanao's muffled voice demanded from the other side.

"My s-sweet, sweet Nanao-chan! Why, of course everything is fine!" the captain flipped open a floor board and pushed the clogged bottles and gourds down with haste, but careful not to make any sound.

"You're not drinking in there, are you?" came the icy tone from beyond the wooden door.

"Nanao-chan, I'd never!" Shunsui hurriedly replied.

Oh Gods, the woman would be the death of him for sure. Death by books!


	3. The Happening

**Cutting Down the Ocean**

**Pairings: **Kaien/Ichigo

**Warnings: **Language, Violence and Adult Situations

**Overall Rating: **Mature

**Summary: **We all know the story; Rukia enters Karakura Town and changes the life of High School student Kurosaki Ichigo. But what happens if Shiba Kaien, who survived against his battle with Metastacia, is instead sent in for investigation?

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Happening**

* * *

Rukia walked along the halls of the division, her hands twined together behind at the small of her back as she quietly treads through the almost silent hallways. Her trek comes to a stop before a screen door, with some hesitance, she slides one screen open and pauses to see the person she is looking for.

"Kaien-dono,"

I pause in mid-air from grabbing onto my zanpakuto to look over my shoulder, the little Kuchiki standing there timidly like a wide-eyed doe. I can only give a small smile before I grab my sword and tuck it nicely by my side and grabbing for a small sack that carried some food, water, and little things that I only need when on this simple patrol in the material world. I walk out of the small house and make my way through the path to the open Senkaimon—World Penetration Gate—that will lead me to my assigned destination.

"Listen up, Kuchiki," I talk as we strode on with her by my side. "I'm gonna be gone for awhile, so until then I'm trusting you to keep an eye and ear around the place."

"Sir?"

"Someone's gotta be the one to look after Ukitake-taichou when those blockheads Kiyone and Sentarou are just fooling around. Understand?" I bump a shoulder with her with a teasing smile.

"Yes, sir." Rukia smiles up at me with promise.

"Glad to hear that."

* * *

**Flashback**

_**3 Days Ago**_

_"Are you kidding me?!"_

_Juushirou sighs while rubbing his temples as I continued my little temper tantrum. The day after my massive hangover, I was given orders from the higher ups that I would take over Kuchiki Rukia's original assignment that is now passed down on me. Byakuya had pulled so many strings to protect his younger sister from any danger, and just when she's about to finally go out on her own for the first time, it is instead pushed onto me!_

_"You and everyone else should know not to baby her! She's a tough girl, and you have no right to take away this chance!"_

_"Kaien—"_

_"No!" I slam my fists down, flaring at the soft-spoken intent of trying to calm my nerves. "This isn't right!"_

_"Rukia has already agreed that you should take the assignment. Yamamoto-soutaichou, Kyouraku-taichou, Unohana-taichou, Kuchiki-taichou, and myself have agreed that you need this."_

_I wanted nothing more at that moment to smash the desk between us, grab the white-haired man and shake him so that he would stop treating me like fragile glass. This isn't about me! This is about Rukia going out and performing what she's been trained to do in the Shinigami Academy, it's about her going out by herself to prove her worth in the name of the Gotei 13. Hearing this, from four other captains besides my own, this was just getting ridiculous!_

_"This isn't about me!"_

_"Kai—"_

_"Shiba Kaien."_

_I froze at the voice of who called me by my full name, the one person who felt almost every need to send reiatsu my way with the intent to slice my body into sticky little chunks. Lo and behold, Kuchiki Byakuya, the current head of the noble household stood before me and Juushirou, his strides graceful and face stoic as ever. I watch quietly as the raven-haired youngster stands beside me in front of my captain's desk and Juushirou can only acknowledge Byakuya's presence with a polite nod of the head._

_It's unusual for the nobleman to visit when he can simple send a Shinigami underling or a Jigokuchou to replay a message, so if he was here... it could only mean that is important._

_"The sentence to what you are given should be taken with grace and honor, Shiba-fukutaichou. There are five captains against you, you have no say in the matter."_

_"Spare me the lecture, Byakuya." I narrow my eyes at the slightly smaller man. "You will just find any excuse to keep sheltering your little sister, making her lack conviction because of your actions."_

_"This isn't about Rukia, Shiba Kaien." the nobleman replies easily. "This is about you overcoming what's been weighing you down all these years."_

_"Stop turning this into some stupid theraputic rehab! THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME!"_

_For once in a long time, Byakuya gave me a cold, cruel, ugly look from beneath his dark lashes. "You're not the only man who had lost his wife."_

* * *

Byakuya, I hated to admit, was right. Dead aim right. Byakuya hadn't handled the death of Kuchiki Hisana well but went on. Yet, I knew deep down, if it weren't for the strict house of his upbringing, Byakuya would have the freedom to feel and express how deeply his missed his deceased wife.

Everyone meant well, I understood, but this thing that they're trying to do, they don't understand. I can't simply forget who it is I've lost and what I've done that night to try and save them.

Maybe the simple mission of a patrol around the material world will help ease my mind, have me think of other problems instead of this. I'll be too busy exterminating Hollows, passing on souls that are waiting to be delivered to this side of the world to think about complicated things such as this.

I stop before the Senkaimon, Juushirou and a few others standing around the open gate that flowed with energy coming from one end to another. The white-haired captain gave me a nod of his head and I numbly return it before I look back to my small companion. I rest a hand on Rukia's head and ruffle it, smiling as she scowled that I messed up her perfectly combed dark hair.

"Make sure Renji becomes a good lieutenant and doesn't slack off." I add to the list of becoming the temporary watchdog of the 13th Division.

"Yes, sir, Kaien-dono." she bows to me one last time, very determined to do well with the tasks given to her until my return.

"Hai, Kaien-dono." she stopped and bowed, determined to make your wishes become reality in your return.

Giving a small salute to the captain and my squad members returning the salute, I turn to the bright gate and without any hesitation, I leap forward.

I make it through the other side of the tunnel with no trouble and I am met with the cool crisp of the night sky, the half crescent moon illuminating the city below me as I stand above. Skyscrapers, stores, departments, parks, houses, warehouses, the list can go on if I had the time. Time may have changed in the last few centuries, but there was something that held history that could never replace how beautiful the land looked once upon a time...

"C'mon Kaien, time to get to work." I mutter to myself a swoop down easily.

I land on a nearby electric pole, careful not to lose balance or brush against the dangerous wires, a black Jigokuchou fluttering next to me before landing on my shoulder. I flip open a folded paper to look inside the contents written by one of the desk people that sent first timers out in the field on their own or in a small group. I only have a few weeks in remaining in the material world before my return so they send in the next guy to patrol this area. A few weeks of nothing but hunting Hollows, saving souls, and trying to get my mind off of complicated stuff like everyone is telling me I should.

"Now. Where should I start?" I ask aloud to myself.

My answer is replied almost instantly by a distant howl in the night, the foul scent following through that signaled the appearance of a Hollow just entering the material world. I look down on my shoulder to the little butterfly that fluttered its wings.

"It's just you and me, huh?" I say with a smile. "Here we go!"

I lunge forward, hand on the handle of my sword, prepared to cut down whatever hunts innocent lost souls and wreaked havoc upon the oblivious city. Gradually, more howls joined the first, implying this to become a very long night ahead.

* * *

Night, I have to say, is much better to deal with when things are more quiet and calm. Day just makes things noisy, distracting, and hazardous. The streets are packed with crowds of people, cars honking and stenching the air with oil, gas and smog, and the bright sun shining off the glass panel windows annoyed me to now end. Years after people had developed laws and organizations to prevent things like gangs, robberies, and violence, people have yet to overcome this difficult obstacle.

But I suppose that's human nature for you.

"This really bites," I mutter as I bite into my dango that Kiyone prepared for me on the day of my departing. "I could be working right now but instead I'm doing this? This sucks!"

_**ROOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!**_

"Break time is over."

Taking a quick bite from the stick, I swallow the dango and grab my zanpakuto and close my eyes, concentrating for the location of where the Hollow may be. Reiraku—Spirit Threads—spread around my form, the numerous white threads flowing serenely in the air before I snatch on one threat that stood out. The thread dark, ominous, and unwelcome. A Hollow.

"Gotcha!"

Sprinting forward, I jump from rooftop-to-rooftop and lunge high in the air to gain some better view, and sure enough below me there is mayhem. This Hollow sure tore this place nicely, the streets in rubble and the buildings torn wide open for people inside to see through. I spot the creature in an instead just by following the trail of damage, the mantis/centipede hybrid is giving chase after two souls; a little girl and a boy.

_'That's weird,'_ you squint your eyes at the boy. _'He's got Reiryoku—Spiritual Power—and all, but he's a human!'_

It was rare, if anything, to come across a human that could sense **(or touch)** spirits. But here I see before me, a strange tangerine-haired boy running down the streets with the little ghost girl in his hand. He could actually see the giant monster on his tail, not a lot of people can actually see that and my kind. It's actually very intriguing, to the point Kurotsuchi Mayuri of the 12th Division might be genuinely interested. Not that I'd toss the poor bastard to that ubber science freak-show's hands.

I shudder and feel pity for those recruited into the 12th Division barracks, often hearing how some would find wounds that they don't recall ever having and the rumor going around that someone dissects them in their sleep. Any theories are pretty open when it comes to the captain and his Science Bureau.

I snap out of my reverie from the cries of people being startled from exploding concrete, random scratches of the building walls, and cars being flipped over. With mass panic rising, I know I had enough inner monolog of the things I don't have answers at the moment but know I have a job to do!

"I better end this quickly," I say to myself before I dive in.

* * *

**{Third Person POV}**

Kurosaki Ichigo kept running like he never rand before, his legs exhausted and lungs burning but he didn't dare stop to give that monster a chance in killing him or the girl in his hands. What is that thing? Where did it come from? How can no one see it? Was it invisible? Is he having a nightmare?!

He doesn't have the answers, but he kept running. The thing is just hideous in a insect-esque kind of way, with wide jaws wanting to rip through him and flaring gold eyes peeking through the dark skeleton head. And the hole on its chest, gaping wide and it didn't bother the creature one bit, it's main concern on catching the prey that continued to run from it.

An explosion erupted again from the creature's mass weight slamming on the ground, creating a tremor beneath his feet. He stumbled forward, almost dropping down to the ground.

"Onii-chan!" he heard the girl cry.

The ghost girl had fallen from the impact, trying to right herself back on her feet but the poor girl chanced a peek over her shoulder and have a whimpered cry as the monster loomed over her. Petrified, she remained frozen where she lie and the monster raised its claws high to strike down the prey.

"Run!" Ichigo shouted to the girl.

**_ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!_**

The teen watches with wide eyes as the monster dove down, watching helplessly that he, too, joins the girl in this terrible fate—

A black swallowtail butterfly...

Blood splattered in the air, staining the ground and walls.

Ichigo blinked, watching the monster that had second ago been ready to crush him and the girl to death but remained frozen. Slowly, he began to notice something red brimming from the corner of the creature's open jaws, and he realized... blood. The monster is bleeding. Rivers of bloow flowed down until the top half slid over and the monster before him and the girl disintegrates into nothing.

In the monster's place stood a man in black robes, a long katana drawn out at his side before he flipped it towards him and slid it easily in a sheath tucked at his white obi. The teen continued to observe the man, trying to come to terms that this man, whoever the hell he is, just saved him and the girl! Ichigo stands back on his feet, helping the girl up before turning his undivided attention to the stranger.

"Hey..." Ichigo takes a step forward, wanting to say something to the man but stopped short when the stranger in dark robes looked over his shoulder to meet his tea brown eyes.

Kurosaki Ichigo... with lengthy black hair and sea green eyes. The similarities bizarre and amazing, yet the difference just as great. His face and shape resembled much of Ichigo, except he looked older and taller, like some 18-20 year old man. And those eyes... they looked perfect for the stranger. Ichigo opened his mouth to say what he wanted, but just as the man had appeared, he flickered out of view.

No words to spare for the orange-haired boy that stood there on the damaged open road, the little ghost girl at his side.


	4. Deathberry & Deep Ocean

**Cutting Down the Ocean**

**Pairings: **Kaien/Ichigo

**Warnings: **Language, Violence and Adult Situations

**Overall Rating: **Mature

**Summary: **We all know the story; Rukia enters Karakura Town and changes the life of High School student Kurosaki Ichigo. But what happens if Shiba Kaien, who survived against his battle with Metastacia, is instead sent in for investigation?

**Disclaimer: **Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Deathberry & Deep Ocean  
**

* * *

Nightfall. The hectic morning had eventually calmed down some bit but the streets are closed off for investigation and the media chattering all over the television about the theories of terrorists attacking with bombs and such. The theories are quickly silenced to prevent panic of the area, people excusing it as gas explosions from underground, but they couldn't explain the strange claw marks on the buildings walls. Nothing came up and from there everything is case closed.

People are blind to what really went on.

Ichigo stared blankly at the ceiling while lying on his bed, eyes dazed and far away from thinking about the events that unfolded before his eyes. He simply ran with the ghost girl in tow and tried to out run an over sized monster but the damn thing was stubborn and refused to lose sight of either of them. And just when all hope was lost and they were about to meet their end, a mysterious stranger dressed in dark traditional robes of the old Japanese times had used a single katana to easily dispatch the monster. And even before he could talk to the man, to ask him what the hell just happened, the guy disappeared from thin air.

It left Ichigo stumped and alone, wondering and questioning what just took place. Sadly, there was no one like him except for Karin to understand, and the other guy had up and left him without saying anything either.

_'Dammit. What's going on around this crazy town?!'_Ichigo scowled up at the ceiling.

That face. That stranger's face looked so much like his own, it was like looking at a mirror. Just give a few years, a make over and some eye contacts and the two of them can be twins! The man's eyes though are what caught Ichigo's attention the most, if there was some way to describe it, he could say it was like looking at the depths of the sea; calm, mysterious, deep, dangerous, and beautiful all in one.

_'Eh?'_

The ginger-haired teen sits up with a deep frown plastered on his usually scowling face and furrowed brows. Just what the fuck made him think this? He is Kurosaki Ichigo, the man who didn't take shit from nobody and beats the crap out of anyone who pissed him off! He's the kid in the block with outrageous natural orange hair that refused to dye it black and got tons of trouble because of it. He's the guy that studied and did work for the faculty when they thought of him as some brainless moron that didn't have what it takes to get through their classes.

But then suddenly when some odd stranger comes in the picture he's reduced to some little brat that felt and thought weird crap just by one look of the look-alike.

"The hell with this!" Ichigo growled and pulled the covers roughly over his body and glared ahead. "I don't have time for thinking crap like this! I've got school tomorrow!"

**...**

"... Who the heck was that guy?"

A black swallowtail butterfly fluttered over his head.

Surprised, the teen sits up and follows the flying insect until it landed on a nearby wall over his desk, and he is gobsmacked from a black deep hole appearing out of nowhere. His fluttering brain is pulled back when something materializes from the black hole, watching with wide eyes as a familiar face walks out from the black tunnel and stands high on his desk top.

_'I-It's him!'_ Ichigo watched in awe as the stranger from before he gracefully hopped down from his desk to the floorboards without a sound. _'He's in my room!'_

The look-alike appeared to be searching, eyes flicking side-to-side to spot something that caught his eye but so far nothing. Ichigo quietly pulled off the covers of his bed and stood on his socked feet, continue to stare at him and thinking frantically what he should say but nothing really came to him. Just blank.

_'Wait a second...!'_ Ichigo's hyperventilating came to a stop. _'WHAT'S HE DOING INSIDE MY ROOM?!'_

* * *

**(Kaien's POV)**

My reiraku technique refused to work properly.

I know there are Hollows in the area, I can hear them every once and awhile but every time I try to track their exact location they become ghosts and escape my radar. Like a wall, a very thick impenetrable wall that prevented me from finding my intended targets. Deciding to try and and deal with this the hard way, I search the streets randomly with the Jigokichou flying by my side and keeping up with the fast pace.

So far, two Hollows are down and I performed Konsou—Soul Burial—to the same girl that had been running from the Hollow in public. A little frightened at first, she calmed down after my explanation of why I did what I did and thankfully with no trouble moved on.

Thinking about the morning made your mind wander back to the boy with ridiculous orange hair.

'No time to be thinking. Got a job to do after all!' I shake my head and jump back in the air to continue my scope around the town.

Another hit with a nearby Hollow, I ended the monster's life with no trouble and returned to the patrol, attempting every now and then to get my reiraku working in order but the damn thing still is blocked out from whatever is messing up my spiritual sonar. Becoming frustrated by the passing hours, I turn to the little Jigokuchou.

"Got any ideas?"

As if responding to my question, the Jigokuchou changes course of the path and begins to lead the way instead of following, leaving the main central area of the Tokyo district and heading more into the suburban areas. Coming closer to the building the little insect led straight for with increasing speed I squint my eyes and read the large letters of the building's front;

**_Kurosaki Clinic_**

The Jigokuchou materialized through a closed window and I awaited for an opening, not moments later a black portal appeared through the wall and I enter the deep black place with no trouble. I look around to find a room, nothing really out of the ordinary, so I jump down to the floor and look around some more. It was that feeling again, the wall that's been giving me trouble for the past few hours and making my job difficult. Maybe the Jigokuchou was onto something, maybe it found the source of my troubles.

"Now," I whisper to myself as I narrow my eyes. "Where is it?"

"It's right up YOUR ASS!"

**_BAM!_**

**_Thud!_**

I blink, finding my head face first into the wooden floorboards and a wet feeling coming to flow from my nose. No doubt it;s blood. I pull myself up with the help of my arms and turn my shoulder to face my attacker.

_'It's that kid from before!'_I stare at the orange-haired boy that stood over me with a deep scowl on his face.

"By you mumbling about where this thing is, do you mean you're looking for something to steal?! Psh! Pretty cocky for a burglar, aren't you?" the kid rambles as he crosses his arms and glares into my head.

But I can't really pay any attention to that nonsense, too busy trying to comprehend that he's actually kicking, yelling, looking at me! I feel a rough brush of a foot against my leg and I break out of my awkward staring, blinking to find the guy demanding answers from me.

"You..." I finally speak up. "You can see me...? A-and you kicked me?!"

"Eh?" the kid quirks a brow at me and gives me a look like I've just grown another set of heads on my shoulders. "Of course I can see you!"

Before the boy could say anymore he is attacked by a man that simply swooped in from the kicked open door of his bedroom. The man is big, bulky in a way and wearing a white coat that I've seen only doctors or scientists wear. Remembering that this is a clinic, I am right to assume that the man indeed is a doctor... but he sure didn't act like one. I stand up while the two scuffle around the floor, easily dusting off the ruffles and winkles of my robes until a single digit finger is jabbed in my chest and I follow it to see the boy irritatingly stressing out the words to the man—his father.

"Look at this guy! What the hell is wrong with our home security system?!"

"Hm?" the older man with spiky black hair and goatee rubs his chin in confusion and blinking innocently at his son. "What guy? I don't see anybody."

That's odd. Shouldn't the parent be able to see since their child could? Or maybe I'm looking at the wrong parent.

"Huh?" the ginger-head gawked at his father and jabbed his finger against your chest once again and you had to fight the urge to slice it out of irritation. "But this guy the the samurai gear is—"

"It's useless." I tell the boy and catching his attention. "I'm a Shinigami."

* * *

"Okay," the orange-haired teen mutters with his arms crossed and eyes closed in concentration. Both you and him settled sitting across from each other from one of his desks. "You. You're a Shinigami."

"Yes."

"And you come from a place called the Soul Society to exterminate evils spirits. Like the one that attacked me and the little girl from earlier."

"Yes."

"And you are acting as a parole officer to ensure the safety and balance of the souls in Karakura Town's district."

"Yes."

The boy nods his head and looks up to me with an unreadable expression, clasping his hands at the edge of his desk. "Okay. I believe you."

Something told me otherwise as I quirked a dark brow at his direction. Although I can be happy for the kid's cooperation and great understanding for this situation I'm in, I can't help but feel a little wary about his easy acceptance of this truth.

And I am right to assume so.

A few seconds later I'm ducking my head to avoid being hit by the flipped table the kid threw in the air out of angry disbelief. "YEAH RIGHT! Like I can believe the bullshit coming out of your mouth!"

"Unbelievable," you glare at the kid. "You see ghosts all the time and yet you choose not to believe in Death Gods?"

"Well for your information I've never seen a Shinigami! Not once! So you'll have to excuse me if I find it hard to believe in something I've never seen."

I roll my eyes and look at the ceiling in irritation, not wanting to bother in getting in further discussion about what to believe and what not to. It's hid decision and it really doesn't matter to me, it's not like I'll be around long to show the kid ways. Not that I'm allowed to.

With that over with, I get up to stand on my own feet and not noticing the kid watching me with wary eyes. I spot the window and go over to open it to prepare my departure. But first, I have to explain something to the kid, don't want him to end up getting mixed up in complicated matters of the Shinigami. I'm not risking getting in trouble with this guy because the kid wanted to butt in with this world that is suddenly opened up for him.

"Alright, listen to me kid. I won't force you to believe that my existence is real, that's up to you to decide but I have to warn you." I tell him as I lift a foot on the rail of the open window.

"Warn me?" the ginger-head is focused now.

"You're just a human. A vulnerable human who has no idea what he's up against, so do yourself a favor and keep your distance from the ghosts. What happened that morning won't be the last of it, those monsters will drag you down with the spirits and they will eat you without any hesitation."

"What?" the kid's eyes turned from shock and then anger. "Those are innocent spirits! I'm not gonna leave them to die like that!"

"That''s not what I'm saying, kid—"

"Like hell! You could be off somewhere in some other part of the city while those monsters are attacking them! I'm not going to leave them just because some prick with a sword claiming to be a Death God says so!"

Oh, that does it!

I point two forefingers at the kid's confused direction and said lowly, "Bakudou # 1: Sai."  
**- Way of Binding: Restrain**

Automatically the boy's arms cross behind his back and the added pressure from my reiryoku made the kid fall to his knees and chest. For a few seconds the kid struggles against the invisible binding bit comes to a stop to glare up at me with that spiteful look in his eyes.

"You bastard! What did you do to me?!"

I step away from the window and come close to the boy, crouching low so that I may be in closer eye level with the irritating brat and I can see that even though he's hiding it, I can see the cautious and tiny flicker of fear appear over his face. I simply stare down at him, my face neutral and as the seconds passed the flickers and twitches on his face grow more but he refuses to budge from his glaring.

"Answer me!" he demands.

A flick my two fingers in the air and immediately he is silenced, knowing very well by now that I possess power that he cannot fight against and he should do well to keep his lashing tongue tucked behind his snarking mouth.

"This is called Kido—Spirit Way—and it's the power we, Shinigami, use to use in a mean of fighting, defending, and healing ourselves or others." I lean in closer, watching the kid fidgit under my intense glare. "Now, let me be very clear to you here; talk respectably to your elders. Despite my looks I've lived 30 of your lifetimes."

That revelation surprised him. How could someone who looked only a few years his senior be so ancient?

"And another thing," came a deep growl from my breath and I grab the collar of his neck and glare into his eyes. "Don't ever insult in what I or my comrades do for a living. We've trained ourselves to the last of our breath and the blood of our brows to protect innocent souls from being corrupted or eatened by these monsters! So for you own sake, don't. Try. My. Patience."

"..." he continues to look at me with wariness, and he's thankfully quiet.

Without a word, I grab the handle of my sword and unsheathe it, not moving my eyes from the boy's face as he watched me with growing horror. He tries to pull himself free from my grip but I remain firm.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" he shouts up to me.

I swing my sword downward.

"NO!"

The ginger-head had shut his eyes tightly in the effort to block out the terrifying scene of his own death before this guy but after a few seconds he remains unharmed. Gathering courage, the boy flutters his eyes open and is surprised to see me no longer looking at him or stabbing my sword into him. Looking to the side, he is surprised to find a ghost he had earlier encountered downstairs when he tried to have a normal dinner that his father ruined for him.

"No! P-please, I beg of you." the four-eyed ghost whimpered with his eyes full of fear. "I, I don't want to go to Hell...!"

"Silly," Ichigo flicked his eyes and is amazed to find kind, gentle sea green eyes look at the ghost in amusement. "Where you're going is a better place. Nothing, not even those monsters, will get you."

The black butterfly the ginger-head spots flies over the spirit and a glowing light engulfs him until there is nothing left but an empty space. I quietly and calmly sheath my sword back into place and ignore the stunned teen's eyes that went from the empty floor to me. I watch the Jigokuchou flutter away and disappear into the night.

"What happened to...?" I hear a quiet voice ask me from behind.

"I performed konsou and sent him to the Soul Society," I chance a peek over my shoulder. "It's what everyone calls going to Heaven."

I am only meet with a curious face.

I really shouldn't indulge him anymore, really wanting to get out of here and continue the patrol but the kid is giving me that look that he wants to hear more. I don't know what's come over me really, why I should stay and talk, maybe I was curious to see what he thought about. Whatever reason, I find myself sitting down on the floor once more.

"Let me explain this." I hold two fingers, but not in a way of threatening him. "In this world there are basically two kinds of spirits."

He nods his head and urges me to continue. "Okay."

"One is the common spirits that you associate yourself with; Wholes. The other are called Hollows. This is the type you've met earlier, you remember?"

"Yeah,"

"They eats souls and they go after spirits to do just that."

"Uh... What are you suppose to do?"

"I'm getting to to that. A Shinigami's job is to perform two main tasks; guide the Wholes and exorcise the Hollows." I lean against the wall behind me. "I'm on patrol right now, so—"

"Wait a second!" the teen cries out and looking at me with unsure frantic eyes. "If you're on patrol here, does that mean one of those Hollows could be hanging around here?"

I blink at him before nodding. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Then why the heck are you just sitting there?! Get up and go kill it before it comes here!" the boy shouts hysterically and I almost cackle in amusement of his useless struggle against his binding.

"Don't worry. I'm a professional when it comes to this sort of stuff. And besides," I trail off and look at the window. "I'm having a bit of a jam here."

"What sort of jam?"

"It's why I'm here in the first place." I stand up and look around his room. "There is something blocking out my sensors and I have to find it, otherwise the tracking down the Hollows deal will get messy."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"It means," I say slowly with a grim look upon my features. "If I can't sense it, I'll be running blind not knowing where they are."

The ginger-head gulps loudly and makes a quick survey around his room that seems to be blocking out my senses but finds nothing. Shit, if I didn't find it sooner than there will be big trouble—

**GRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAWWWWRRR!**

_'Wha... What was that I just heard...?!'_the boy shuddered at the ugly feeling, his inner organs and chest vibrating from the deep echo of a chilling roar howling somewhere in the distance.

He looks up to find me still distracted and looking around his room with frustration.

"Hey! Hey, Shinigami!"

"What is it, kid?" I mumbled.

"What is it?!" he gaped at my back. "Didn't you just hear something howling?!"

I freeze from my spot and turn to give the boy a bewildered look of shock.

"How di—"

**GRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAWWW WWWWRR!**

My hand quickly grips the handle of my zanpakuto and whip it out, my shoulders tense and face staring at the distance of what I cannot believe is a very close by Hollow! How the fuck did I not sense it?! In fact, how the fuck did the kid hear it before I could?!

Crash!

"Kyaaaaa!"

"That was Yuzu!" the teen stared at his bedroom door in horror.

I run to the door and flip it open, ignoring the shoutings of the teen but stop myself from taking a step out from the thick and heavy and weight of the Hollow's foul Reiatsu—Spiritual Pressure—flowing through to me like a waterfall. I'm shocked really, gobsmacked at how I cannot sense this evil presence when it's just a few feet away from me, close to touching distance!

_'What's wrong with me...?'_

"Karin!"

I look down and near my feet is a small dark-haired girl that stumbled in the hall before collapsing in her brother's doorway, her head bleeding from the gash on her forehead and trying to crawl her way to her brother. The ugly dread came over your shoulders, disgusted and infuriated that these monsters attacked without any care at all for who it was hurting, just more concerned about sating their hunger.

"Ichi-nii? You're alright." the girl pants and half-smiling at her horror-stricken brother. "Good. It... it hasn't come here yet. Goat-chin just started to bleed and something attacked me and Yuzu... Just thought... I should... warn you..."

"Karin!"

She fainted from exhaustion, blood loss, and the excitement. I do a quick check on her pulse but to my relief she if fine. I give a quick glare over my shoulder to the boy, watching him struggle to where his sister lie before I jump back to my feet and run down the halls. I ignore the boy calling after me and I jump from the high level and land on the ground from the first floor, eyes darting back and forth to find the cause of this havok wreaking.

I run into what seemed the most disastrous area and spot the familiar man, the doctor, lying against the wall with his back bloody and torn from the Hollow attacking. But where was the other girl that the two siblings spoke of, the Yuzu child.

That's when I see it.

A little over 10 ft., lanky yet muscular-looking and the mask shaped to match the looks of an over-sized fish with jaws, and in its clutches is an innocent child crying and bleeding, getting the life squeezed out of her because the monster didn't know the meaning of restraint! I let a small sliver of killing intent fill the air through my reiatsu, seeing it catch a whiff of my scent and turn my way with its slimy jaws grinning at me.

"You," I tell it as I raise my zanpakuto. "Aren't getting out of this alive."

Before I can even begin the planning of butchering this creature—

**_Thud!_**

I look back and my heart skipped a beat from another dilemma stumbling their way in the destroyed kitchen, adding the growing lift of problems when that idiot with the stupid hair color struggled against my spell. I can't stop myself from disliking idiots that didn't follow orders, although I have to call myself a hypocrite for doing the same thing.

"You should have stayed upstairs, kid." I angrily told him so.

"Shut up," came a low strained growl and I glance back again and see him standing on his own two feet, surprising me somewhat.

"Did you not hear me?!" I yell at him, beyond frustrated with his stubbornness. "Stay back, you're getting in the way!"

"I said," the boy growled and shouted at the top of his lungs as he pulls against his restraints. "SHUT UP!"

"Cut it out!" I warn him as I see the danger of his continuing struggle against the kidou but I can't risk the release, otherwise it would get worse. "You'll damage your soul if you struggle against it—"

**_Snap!_**

I stand there in awe of what I saw before me. I've never heard of a human breaking through the spell of a kidou. Blinking out of my daze, I realize that the fool is rushing in and aiming to attack the Hollow holding his younger sister hostage, a wooden bat as his means of offense. The monster easily flicks the teen to the side and aims to crush him with a fist but a quick work of my shunpo and the monster is losing his grip of the girl.

I catch the girl easily in the air and jump away, avoiding the aimed hits towards me and coming to stand by the teen's side, eyes never leaving the monster as I feel the kid grab his sister from my hold.

"Yuzu? Yuzu, answer me!"

"She's alright, just unconscious. Fish-face is only looking for a soul with—" I stop from my words, my brain racking me for finally realizing what is happening and why I couldn't concentrate on Hollows right away. "I see. It makes sense now."

"What? What is it?"

"That Hollow. The little girl. The block. Your ability to see and touch ghosts and Shinigami..."

"What the fuck are you saying, dammit?!"

"All this time, you've been communicating with ghosts that it made your soul more open to the world of the afterlife." I look back to the boy with understanding of all the questions having bothered me since the beginning. "In other words, those Hollows... they were all after you."

Stunned silence overtook us all.

"They... They're after me...?" his eyes grew wide. "Does this mean that little girl... she was attacked because of me? A-and all this! My home, my family... They're hurt because I—"

Oh no. No, no, no, no! I have to diffuse this or otherwise this will turn ugly. Fast!

"No, kid! You're not listening! I didn't mean tha—"

These bastard Hollows like to interrupt a lot.

**_SLAM!_**

"Arrgh!" I cry out when a large fist slams to my side, and I can feel the sick crack of my ribs breaking.

_**CRASH!**_

More broken bones from that, too. Dust floated in the air where I crashed into a nearby wall acting as someone's fence to split from other houses and a street, I cough from the inhale of dust and rub the back of my head. Feeling something wet and warm, I didn't have to see that the back of my head is bleeding from the impact of my body being slammed into a wall and creating a crater. I grit my teeth and trying my best to ignore the pain and sharp jabs going through my entire body, I cough again and look through the clouds of dust and wished I didn't.

That tangerine-haired brat stood in the middle of the street and standing directly in front of the Hollow.

"Enough! You want a piece of me?! Then come get me!"

Almost as if it couldn't disagree with the wonderful offer of its dinner not planning to run from it, the masked fish open its jaws wide to let the boy see where he will be heading for. Then it dived in for the kill, taking pleasure of devouring a willing victim for their delicious soul. I begin to see images, pictures I locked away from the back of my head for the sake of peace of mind but they are drawn open and I can't take them back. No longer is there a boy standing in the middle of a street but a young woman, her zanpakuto raised and prepared to fight to the death against a Hollow. A creature with lively tentacles and wider soulless eyes...

"NO!"

Blood...

Everywhere it is, sprayed on the pavement, on wool fabric, on warm skin. The Hollow's teeth dug deep as it allowed itself to bask in the delicious tatse of its prey, a big tongue licking it so sensually to get a better sample. But then a streak of agonizing pain went through the monster's jaws, getting stronger by the passing second before it struggles to break free and the Hollow realizes that its dinner isn't going easy on it.

"Shi—" the boy stutters in shock. "Shinigami!"

I bet it was a gruesome sight for the poor kid. Half of my body in the jaws of the Hollow and my neck safe because my zanpakuto is stabbed between the lines of the monster's teeth and helping somewhat live a little longer. Besides, this monster deserved a little taste of the pain, having terrorized an innocent family and spirits alike. With haste, the monster pulls away finally to nurse its wound, allow itself to howl in pain while I succumb to my own pitiful painful experience. Those teeth went in deep, the pressure of the jaws crushing my body resulted in a few broken ribs and maybe a hip as well.

I begin to fall back but a pair of arms wrap around my underarms and use their body for me to rest my own against. Slowly and gently as the boy could, he drags me to a nearby wall and sets me down, watching me as I wheeze pathetic breaths of air and my eyes sight growing hazy from the blood loss. I flick my eyes to him, seeing the kid look guilty and like some kicked puppy, it kind of made me want to kick him around for having me injured in the first place.

"Did you," I pause and let out a cough and wheeze. "Did you really think... hah... it would stop after it eats you...?"

He furrowed his brows at this. "I... I thought that maybe—"

"You obviously fucking thought wrong!" I snap at him with a snarl in my tone, glaring up at the tangerine-head. "After it's done picking its teeth with you, it will come after your family!"

"No..." the boy grinded his teeth, clenching his eyes closed.

"I can't do anything now." I added the salt to the wound. "We're dead meat now."

"Dammit!" the boy cursed as he slams a fist on the pavement, uncaring of the pain shooting up his arm. "I just wanted to stop all this and somehow I only make it worse!"

I close my eyes as my breaths become heavy pants, trying to block the pain and find some inner peace. I'm about to be one of the Hollow's meals, so might as well go out with a peace of mind, even if it is pathetic. I can't believe I'm about to die from this one measily Hollow, and all because this punk was trying to sacrifice himself to protect his siblings and father... An epiphany slithered into your head.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri, ever sick and twisted with his scientific studies of whatever caught his interests. Making hypotheses, conducting experiments, and proving or finding dead ends of the said project. There was an experiment many years back, one that had looked down upon because it was unnatural and it was a violation from the borders between life and death, this thing that resulted in failure in the end but yet considered out lawed so the incident would never repeat itself.

I look over to the sulking boy, to the recovering Hollow, and back to him. "Hey,"

The boy stiffens but does not reply back.

"... Do you still want to save your family?"

At this, the kid shoots up and looks at me with desperation, grabbing at the collar of my robes. "Tell me! I'll do anything, just please, tell me what to do!"

I hold his wrists gently, wanting him to ease up on his hold. "There is a way. But to be frank with you, I should say that this is the only way."

"Only way?" he blinks at me in confusion, looking somewhat child like.

"You," I poke his chest. "You need to become a Shinigami."

"What?" he murmurs before the words hit him. "What?! How? How can I possible—"

"Place my sword over your heart and I will give you half of my powers. This will give you enough strength to go and deal with this!"

He looks frantic, looking at the zanpakuto pointed at him. "Y-you sure this'll work?"

"Hell, I dunno! Never actually done this, you know!" you roll your eyes and the teen gawks in horror. "This is the only chance we've got! If this doesn't work then you and I, and your family, will be Hollow food. I don't have all the answers right now with me but I'm willing to take a leap of faith; how about you?!"

The teen can hear his heart beating loudly against his ribs, his ears drumming from every fast pump of the main organ and the fear growing deep. Will this work? What happens if it doesn't? Will it really save his family? So many questions that made him lose his nerve and hesistating in answering the fallen Shinigami. Hearing a small voice call his name, Ichigo glances back and feels dread as he sees Yuzu, who is crumpled on the pavement floor, murmuring in her sleep. Small tears pour from behind her closed lids and she whispers his name again, weak and small, her tiny hands in tight fists.

"Ichi-nii..."

"She's having a bad dream," Ichigo says out loud without meaning to.

"Please... run away..." the little girl shakes. "Get away... Ichi-nii."

'Who am I to worry about myself when my sisters were worrying about me.' the teen turns back to me with a determined look. 'I'd have to be a real bastard to think for myself!'

No fear, not hesitation, no doubts but just strength and courage to take a leap of faith as I said earlier. I just hope I did not fail him or anyone in this little experiment of ours. Feeling the tremor of the ground, I peek over Ichigo and see the Hollow recovered and is now coming right towards us with vengeance.

"Give me that sword, Shinigami." the boy says with confidence.

"I have a name, you know." I give a bloody, wry grin. "Shiba Kaien."

"Kurosaki Ichigo." the boy, known as Ichigo, replies back with a smile of his own as he grabs the sword and aims it towards his heart. "Let's hope that this isn't our last meeting."

"Ready?" I ask as I catch sight of the charging Hollow, gaining on us.

"Do it!" the boy shouts.

**_Shunk!_**

The Hollow halted from the charge to raise its arm to shield itself from the blinding explosion of light, the reiatsu in the air getting thicker and it only made the appetite of its prey even more appeasing. The light finally disappears but the silence is again full of noise when something thick, heavy, and wet smacks against the pavement behind the large Hollow. Feeling a light weight, the Hollow looks down at its arm... or a lack thereof. The arm that had been attached is now severed, making the Hollow realize the pain and shock, shouting once again in agony and the dust from the pavement clearing to reveal an awaited surprise.

Kurosaki Ichigo stood tall in his black Shihakusho—Garment of Dead Souls—with a large belt clinging from his shoulder down his hip with a large sheath hanging off his back and an equally large sword held in his grip. The boy is giving a menacing glare at the shocked Hollow. A little way behind Ichigo wearing a white robe and obi that was absorbing the blood from the earlier wounds, I watch in awe as my brain began to lose function of the scene.

_'The little punk stole most of my powers!'_

"This is for attacking my family!" Ichigo roared as he raises his sword.

_'This... This is crazy!'_ I've never in my entire life thought a human could pull this sort of thing off. Although glad we're not dead right now, I wonder if I did something wrong in this experiment. _'And what the heck is up with his sword?!'_

The sword isn't in release, the powers sealed so it layed dormant, but it still didn't do much to calm the fuck down for the fact that if that thing is huge, then it mean that there was something very big that was deep in Ichigo, somewhere.

_'Who the hell is this kid?'_

"GO TO HELL!" Ichigo raises his blade to the Hollow one last time.

_**SLICE!**_

_'What have I done...?'_came your last question.

And the rest was silence...


End file.
